Agriculture and Environment: Shrimp

Better Management Practices: Reduce Water Exchange

Less water exchange is better for the environment. In parts of Asia the exchange rates are down to 3% per day, and in Latin America the average rates in many countries are as low as 5%.

In both areas, the rates are still declining. One operation in Belize with lined ponds has no exchange and only replaces water lost to evaporation at a rate of 0.5% per day.

The use of effective microorganisms has been shown to reduce the need for aeration and water exchange.

Introducing microorganisms
In Thailand, some small farmers have drastically reduced water exchange through the incorporation of microorganisms that function as providers of dissolved oxygen in the water because of the presence of the photoautotrophic bacteria.

In some farms, water exchange and aeration have been reduced or even eliminated (Panfilo Tabora, personal communication).